No Bones about it: Cemetery Board is a Decaying Corpse

The deceased residents of Fair Oaks Cemetery roll beneath their grave markers every second Tuesday of the month. The moaning of those who were once long-time residents seep out of the ground and waft into whimpers among the oak and Chinese elm branches. Halloween comes but once a year, but monthly, in the single standing structure of the cemetery, a frightful event occurs: the Cemetery Board Meeting.

Hunched over a small wooden table, heads down and with their backs turned toward the public, the board members mumble among themselves, chide one another, and play a game of “besting one another” to see who can make the most condescending remark to their fellow board members, and to members of the ignored public audience.

When asked questions by onlookers from the audience, or when someone from the audience offers points of propriety and specific facts about an issue, Jerry Schroeder (Board Chairman) brushes aside the public participation in much the manner that anyone brushes away an annoying fly. His regal feathers become ruffled whenever anyone dares to invade his carelessly crafted kingdom. Carolyn Flood, lacking original input and prior knowledge of the agenda topics, mimicks and reiterates everything said by her fearless leader. Vice Chairman Gordon Hamilton and board member Leyvonne Carter bob their heads in agreement with everything said by the Chairman, which again is persistently reiterated by Mrs. Flood. Office manager Terri Perrin, one of two full-time employees of the cemetery, sits rather dumbfounded by the entire fiasco. When asked by board member Robert Massey to repeat earlier concerns discussed by the board, Miss Perrin is unable to do so because she has failed to keep adequate notes, and because she has difficulty reading her own handwriting.

Several questions arose during a July 10 meeting, when Mr. Massey discovered that many items had been omitted from the minutes of previous Cemetery Board meetings. The revelation of Miss Perrin's inept note-taking then led to a 4-1 disagreement over Mr. Massey's right to add information to the current minutes. The public, much to the chagrin of Chairman Schroeder, spoke in support of Mr. Massey's right for an inclusion in the minutes, but it was unclear whether Mr. Massey's wishes would be carried out.

While the July 10 agenda allotted time for the board to discuss the numerous lawsuits pending against it, and nine other items for discussion, Mr. Schroeder seemed more intent upon focusing discussions around his personal remarks aimed against Mr. Massey—remarks that bordered, at times on slander, and which smacked of an obvious disdain for the long-time Fair Oaks resident. Mrs. Flood, as per what seems to be her position on the board, reiterated Chairman Schroeder's slanders. Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Carter bobbed their heads in agreement, and Miss Perrin studied her finger nails.

The meeting followed that course throughout the night. All motions initiated by Mr. Massey died because of a lack of a second. All issues voted upon by the board were carried or defeated by a 4-to-1 vote, with Mr. Massey being the single board minority, only because he voted in favor of the public interest.

But though all of this sounds frightening, it is not. What is most terrifying is that the board members of the Fair Oaks Cemetery District are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors, and they are allowed a four-year tenure without a chance for public recall. Mr. Schroeder has been given the authority to price new burial plots at $1000 dollars, though the public expressed great dismay over the ability of many Fair Oaks residents to afford burial in their community. He has been given authority to dismiss public concerns about the unqualified burials that take place at the taxpayer's expense, and has been given authority to provide what many believe is preferential treatment to residents whose property boundaries encroach onto land owned by the cemetery. He is allowed to pay $150 to Mr. Robert Hunt each time the Cemetery Board convenes for a private or public meeting. Mr. Hunt is an attorney from the Bleier Law Firm. His main objective is to protect the Cemetery Board from and defend them in the numerous lawsuits pending against the cemetery.

But is it only Mr. Schroeder who has the authority to spend taxpayer dollars and to put the Board in a position to be sued at the droop of a coffin lid? It would appear so, since Mr. Massey's authority is defeated by lack of seconds to his motions, and who is antagonistically overridden by 4-to-1 majority votes. It would also appear that Mr. Schroeder is the only authority on the Cemetery Board because Mrs. Flood's authority is relegated to simple reiterations of Mr. Schroeder's opinions, and because Mr. Carter's and Mr. Hamilton's authority is limited to subservient nods of their heads. As for Ms. Perrin... her nails look fine.

But it is not her nails that we should worry about. We should be more frightened about the nails that the Cemetery Board is driving into the coffin of the Fair Oaks Cemetery. The only solution to preventing the premature death of a beautiful Fair Oaks landmark is for the County Board of Supervisors to appoint a more competent, more public service oriented group of people. Better yet, Fair Oaks should bring the board up for a vote.